Sports gamblers are preparing themselves for a month-long field day.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup will kick off Thursday when the first of 32 national teams begin their sprint in Russia in an effort to win world soccer’s championship. Like the teams, bettors have a great opportunity to enrich themselves by making the right decisions at the right time.
The World Cup will feature a host of different betting options, including futures, top scorer odds, individual-game wagers and, of course, props.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the World Cup betting scene. All of the current betting lines are from OddsShark.com.
World Cup Futures
1. Brazil +450
2. Germany +475
3. Spain +600
4. France +650
5. Argentina +950
6. Belgium +1200
7. England +1800
Brazil and Germany will start the World Cup as the favorites to win the tournament. Spain and France trail the South American and European powers but have some distance ahead of the fifth favorite, Argentina. Belgium and England are top dark horses to rule in Russia.
Visit OddsShark.com for a full World Cup futures list.
Top scorer odds
1. Lionel Messi, Argentina, +1000
2. Neymar, Brazil, +1000
3. Antoine Griezmann, France, +1200
4. Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal, +1600
5. Harry Kane, England, +1600
6. Timo Werner, Germany, +1600
7. Gabriel Jesus, Brazil, +1600
8. Romelu Lukaku, Belgium, +1800
Star power fuels World Cup excitement, and this year’s tournament has plenty of it. Oddsmakers have installed icons Lionel Messi and Neymar as favorites to top the goal-scoring list, while France forward Antoine Griezman is expected to fire his team deep into the tournament. Cristiano Ronaldo occupies a surprising low position of fourth, where he’s tied with England captain Harry Kane and rising stars Timo Werner and Gabriel Jesus.
Visit OddsShark.com for a full World Cup top goalscorers odds list.
Individual-game betting
Check with us the day before each game, as we’ll offer our picks based off the latest odds from the beginning through the end of the tournament.
Prop betting
The World Cup will provide countless events, both on and off the field, on which betters can wager. For example, you’ll be able to bet on things such as how many goals a player will score during the World Cup or even place an OVER/UNDER bet on the number of games a team will win.
Click here to see some of the top prop bets.
